Two issues of importance in clinical dentistry are the assessment of a tooth's viability and the detection of caries in the regions where there is contact between adjacent teeth. Optical techniques are currently being explored as alternatives to present methods of measurement. Tooth viability is being examined by developing a system which can detect the presence of hemoglobin in the tooth by its absorption characteristics. The presence of caries between teeth is being assessed by measuring the fluorescence spectra which change with the development of tooth decay.